If your holidays are a little... feral, this is for you 🎄

Hi Mamas - 

The holidays are supposed to be magical, right? RIGHT?! And then Aunt Cindy brings up that off-limits topic (again), Cousin Danny shows up with a new plus-one you now have to make small talk with, and suddenly you’re sitting in the same room pretending to be cordial with people whose Facebook rants you just rage-read last week. Family is FUN, right?

Sometimes it’s a little more complicated. You want the version where everyone’s laughing, swapping stories, and passing mashed potatoes like a holiday movie—but instead, you’re low-key bracing for the moment. Maybe it’s a ticking time-bomb comment, maybe it’s subtle family weirdness, or maybe it’s a mix of both. What rises up in you as the holidays approach? Joy, gratitude, and laughter—or racing heartbeats, quickened breathing, and plotting a five-minute escape for some peace and quiet.

Wherever you land (or somewhere in between) the holidays rarely look like a Hallmark scene for most of us. This week, we’ve got quick tips and ideas to help you add ease, offload stress, and hopefully enjoy the season with your people.

We’d love it if you’d share The CARRY™ ALL newsletter with another mama who needs it. Pass on the love with your referral link!

Enjoy!

-CARRY™ Team

 This week in The CARRY™ ALL, we’re talking about:

• 😅 Managing Holiday Stress + Family Dynamics

• 🎄 Holiday Icebreakers That Actually Work

•  🎶 Holiday Hosting, Simplified

THE BIG 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣

1️⃣  😅 Managing Holiday Stress + Family Dynamics

A season meant for joy and gathering can also bring stress, pressure, and old family habits you wish you could leave in a past life. This year, try shifting your focus to what’s actually yours to hold—your tone, your boundaries, your pace—and let go of the responsibility to manage everyone else’s moods (or the weird controversial thing Aunt Cindy will bring up at some point).

You can stay kind without being the designated peacekeeper, present without getting pulled into every conversation, and connected without abandoning yourself.

Want more tips for navigating stress + complicated family dynamics this season? Check out this podcast episode!

2️⃣   🎄 Holiday Icebreakers That Actually Work

Depending on your family (and their emotional… spiciness), a question or a competition might be your best bet for keeping things light this year. The goal is to break the ice, not the family bonds. Try one of these:

💬 Question-Based Icebreakers
Put these in a bowl to draw from, or place one at each plate to go around the table:

• “What’s a favorite holiday tradition from your childhood?”

• “What’s the best gift you’ve ever given or received?”

• “What’s one holiday tradition you’d happily never do again?”

• “Which holiday character would be the worst to be stranded on an island with?”

• “What’s your go-to seasonal food, drink, movie, or playlist?”

🎲 Game-Based Icebreakers

• The Saran Wrap Game — a giant ball of goodies that has to be unwrapped while the next person rolls doubles. Fast, chaotic, hilarious.

• Left-Right-Center (LRC) — quick-paced dice game anyone can play, even the grandmas who “don’t do games.” Even more fun with some $!

• "Holiday Heist" — a twist on White Elephant but every gift is tiny + useful (think snacks, mini candles, scratch-offs). No bad gifts, no hard feelings.

Pick one this year and let the activity do the heavy lifting—so you don’t have to be the one asking everyone to please stop whisper-fighting about why 3 people brought cranberry sauce… again.

3️⃣  🎶 Holiday Hosting, Simplified

Hosting doesn’t have to feel like a performance review for your home, your cooking, or your emotional stability. Shorten the visit with “open house hours” instead of an all-day marathon, or choose a neutral space to shake up the usual dynamics. Share the work—make it a potluck, pare down the seven-course menu to something realistic, or cater a few items instead of going fully homemade. And when all else fails, set the tone with the ambiance: a fabulous playlist in the background, a candle to cozy the space, and little touches that bring you peace. Because when you usher in calm for yourself, it ripples out to everyone else.

📰 IN THE NEWS

✍️ Congress Passes BABES Act to Protect Breastmilk Travel

A big hell yeah for moms everywhere! Congress just passed the BABES (Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening) Act, making it way easier to travel with breast milk, formula, and feeding gear. TSA staff will get better training, guidance will be clearer, and audits will keep things honest—so parents can focus on getting to grandma’s house, not on liquid drama at the checkpoint.

👉 Want the full story? Read more here.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT 🤎
for the midlife mom

All month long, The Paula Faris Show has been celebrating midlife moms with stories, challenges, and wisdom straight from Paula herself. In honor of her 50th, she chatted with special guests—including her husband John and friend Liz Bohannon. From embracing change to prioritizing yourself, this series is packed with insights, inspiration, and real talk for every stage of midlife and motherhood.

🎧 Listen to the full series here!

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